Dive Watch Releases / Articles

2017-01-31

Oris have given their popular professional AQUIS diver – a bit of a refresh for 2017. While the case and bracelet seem to have been on a bit of a New Year’s diet, the face has been redesigned to look a lot bolder.

The Aquis has always been considered a bit of tool-diver but is it in danger of becoming a little soft round the edges? This is the first time it’s been presented with a leather strap, too. So was it ever meant to be worn as a dress-diver?

Every Oris diver can trace its roots back to the 1960s; the smash-hit Divers SIXTY-FIVE collection serves as a reminder of their diving heritage. Surely this is the go-to Oris dress diver, no?

Remember the Oris Full Steel of the late 1990s and the iconic Regulator; they demonstrated the inventiveness of Oris, sowing the seeds of the now iconic Aquis collection.
The new Aquis Date is just the next chapter of that story that began over half a century ago!

Like many divers, the Aquis was always characterized by its case design with its muscular lugs and large unidirectional rotating bezel.

While the lugs were designed so its metal bracelet or rubber divers strap would be able to swivel to fit a wide range of wrist sizes, the broad bezel and its oversized numerals offered excellent legibility underwater.

Both features served practical purposes that have made the Aquis a bit design icon. The new Aquis Date embodies much of the spirit and design DNA of its predecessor. However it probably isn’t the rugged tool watch that it used to be.

That’s because Oris’ designers have taken the Aquis and added a touch of ‘’elegance’’ to their tool diver – a move designed to reflect the versatility of modern Aquis owners that mightn’t just be looking for a diving companion but perhaps a dining companion, too!

As we know too well diver’s watches are no longer just for underwater adventures, they’re often found under a shirt cuff.

This is why the lugs and the bracelet of the Aquis are now thinner, giving the case and the whole watch a slimmer profile.

As well as this, the screw-down security crown and crown protectors have also been refined to give the Aquis a sleeker silhouette.

The good news is that, the hands and dial markers have been redesigned to look bolder and sharper.

The bezel inlay is made of black, scratch and fade-resistant ceramic, and the dial now proudly sports the Aquis name.

As well as aesthetic changes, the new Aquis Date also has one or two ergonomic enhancements. Its unidirectional divers bezel is now easier to grip, thanks to a small gap placed between the case and the body, allowing for a better grip.